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Bald Predictions - High School Football Week Eight

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The season continues to march on.

It seems like just a week ago that we were at the Miami Dolphins Youth Academy Media Day, now we've barreled into week eight.

Though week seven got shortened by the threat of Hurricane Matthew, I did predict games. You all did not see them because we didn't know which games would be made up, but I made the picks early in the week before the storm wiped out everything.

At this juncture, we'll start to see teams clinch playoff berths; others teams will be eliminated and be left to play out the proverbial strings while other teams will be watching our scoreboard closely because they need some help to get into the playoffs.

Still, it is the nature of South Florida kids to continue to compete until the bitter end – playoff bound or not.

This week is chocked full of important district matchups. District showdowns are a bit tougher to pick. There's typically so much familiarity between the programs and the players and the rivalries are deeply ingrained and usually very intense. Then mix in playoff implications and you're talking about some of the best high school football games you'll see anywhere in the country.

The time for excuses is over, the teams that win games from this point on are the teams that pay attention to detail and execute in crucial situations – and that includes the coaches.

Record last week: 17-4 (Shortened week)
Season record: 268-45 (.856 Correct Pick Percentage)

50 games picked this week with three games in the Bald Predictions spotlight.

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(1) Plantation American Heritage (6-0) vs. (9) Cardinal Gibbons (5-0)
Friday at Plantation American Heritage, 7:30 p.m.

Here's a game that probably won't get the amount of hype that it deserves.

Cardinal Gibbons has been one of – if not – the biggest surprises this season. Head coach Matt DuBuc has committed to instilling a different mindset within the program and it looks like it's already paying dividends.

While Gibbons has been a winning program over the past five years, the knock on the Chiefs has always been whether or not they were battled-tested and tough enough to stand toe-to-toe with the powerhouse opponents. And that's what DuBuc wanted to change.

Sophomore quarterback Nik Scalzo has emerged as the leader of Gibbons' offense – throwing for 14 touchdowns and just two interceptions so far this season – and he operates behind a stout offensive line that allows him to distribute the ball all over the field, evident by the six different players with double-digit reception totals.

On the flip side, American Heritage – the No. 1 team in the latest SFHSSports Top 25 Poll – is finding a way to fly under the radar despite their spotless record. While attention has been paid elsewhere, all the Patriots have done is seemingly improve each week.

American Heritage is still a run-heavy team – something that will suit them well in this matchup and throughout the rest of the season. The Patriots want to establish the run game with bruiser Abraham Alce and keep teams off balance with quarterback Jason Brown running the read-option.

I think the Patriots' run game will be the very thing that gives them the edge over Gibbons in this game. Gibbons has a pair of very good defenders in junior linebacker Donnell Bennett III and senior Hunter Astle, but they'll be hard-pressed to shed the blocks of Heritage's massive offensive line all night.

The other factor that tips in Heritage's favor is that Gibbons' passing game will be challenged by the Patriots' secondary. There's no doubt that Heritage has one of the more talented defensive backfields in the country and they will the Chiefs' toughest matchup so far this season. And I am sure American Heritage will dial up multiple blitzes to put pressure on Scalzo throughout the night.

I think Heritage will be determined to show that it still has the upper hand in this rivalry – and they do it by pulling away late.

Bald Prediction = American Heritage wins 35-21

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(2) Northwestern (6-1) vs. (4) Miami Central (6-1)
Friday at Traz Powell Stadium, 7:30 p.m.

It's been a while since this game had so much heat surrounding it.

Once again, Central versus Northwestern can be billed as the "game of the year".

The reason why everyone's eyeing this game is because of the potential playoff implications that it carries.

The Rockets didn't do themselves any favors with their week six blowout loss to Carol City. That loss – a district loss – essentially put Central behind the proverbial eight ball. Because District 16-6A now only carries four teams (Northwestern, Carol City, Norland and Central), losing two games is the kiss of death.

Remember, Central is the program that has won four consecutive state titles (2012-15) and has made six straight trips to the Class 6A championship game. But now the Rockets are 48 minutes away from being knocked out of playoff contention.

Northwestern is one of the most dangerous teams to play at this point in the season, in my opinion. The Bulls seem to be clicking on all cylinders right now and they have two key ingredients to being a team that can win a lot of games: a strong running game and a stingy defense.

While quarterback Chatarius "Tutu" Atwell serves as the face of this Northwestern offense, it's senior running back Kai Henry that is the heart of it. Despite being one of Miami-Dade County's leading rushers and the Bulls main offensive weapon, Henry is largely unheralded – his production has been a direct reflection on the outcomes of the Bulls' games.

Both Central and Northwestern want to run the ball and the big thing to watch is to see which team will be able to establish its running game and stop the other from doing so.

Honestly, I think both teams' running games and their ability to stop the run will wash each other out. The x-factor here is which team will be able to make plays downfield in the passing game.

"Tutu" Atwell is as elusive of a quarterback that you'll find and he can extend plays while still looking downfield for the big shot. Central has been using three different quarterbacks – Tijuane Morton, Seth McGill and Maurice Underwood – but Morton (the senior) has been the one that seems to be the Rockets' best option in terms of taking shots downfield in the passing game.

I'd have to give the edge of Central's pass game – with receivers Jernard Phillips, Carmoni Green and Anthony White Jr. – because Morton should enough time to look downfield and find holes in Northwestern's secondary.

I have a strong feeling that this game will be close. I am almost certain that it will be a near capacity crowd at Traz as well – there to see the "fall of an empire" or see things stay "status quo".

It's hard to count out a champion – let alone a four-time champ. Rockets win, but it will not be easy.

Bald Prediction = Central wins 22-20

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(8) Carol City (3-2) vs. (16) Norland (3-2)
Thursday at Traz Powell Stadium, 7 p.m.

Everyone calls this game "The Miami Gardens Bowl" but I see this is a lynchpin game – meaning there's a lot riding on the outcome, more than affecting these two teams.

Similar to the way I feel about Northwestern, I think Carol City is a dangerous team to play right now.

The Chiefs are brimming with confidence and they seem to be peaking at the right time. Carol City comes into this game riding a three-game winning streak and it's hard not to correlate the recent run of success to the emergence of quarterback Marlon Smith.

Super sophomore running back Nayquan "Monster" Wright and the Chiefs defense – better known as the "Darkside Defense 2.0" – definitely deserve a lot of credit, but Smith has been the x-factor.

While the Chiefs are in a great position right now, they'd be doing themselves a great disservice if they strolled into this game underestimating Norland.

The Vikings are a solid football team with a number of athletic players and a very good coach in Daryle Heidelburg. Giving coach Heidelburg an extended amount of time to prepare and cook up a game plan makes Norland an even more dangerous team.

Still, I think Carol City has the edge in this game. The Chiefs have more dynamic players – like Wright, and receiver Kevaughn Dingle and defensive end Deandre Wilder – that can singlehandedly sway a game.

Carol City must get their running game established early with Wright and Camron Davis, making it easier for Smith to take shots downfield.

I know Norland will have some tricks up their sleeve in the form of multiple misdirection plays to use the Chiefs' defensive aggressiveness against them, but I'm confident Carol City's ability to still be disruptive enough to force the Vikings into mistakes.

Chiefs win The Miami Gardens Bowl and put pressure on the rest of district 16-6A.

Bald Prediction = Carol City wins 27-20

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Other Games

(3) Coral Gables vs. Coral Park = Coral Gables wins by 25

(5) St. Thomas Aquinas vs. Fort Lauderdale = St. Thomas wins by 30

(6) Flanagan vs. Everglades = Flanagan wins by 21

(7) McArthur vs. Hollywood Hills = McArthur wins by 27

(10) Booker T. Washington vs. Hialeah-Miami Lakes = Booker T. wins by 33

(11) Edison vs. Monsignor Pace = Edison wins by 6

(12) Boyd Anderson vs. Boynton Beach = Boyd Anderson wins by 12

(13) Miami Palmetto vs. Miami High = Palmetto wins by 18

(14) Chaminade-Madonna vs. Citra North Marion HS (Fl.) = Chaminade wins by 8

(15) Piper vs. Taravella = Piper wins 17

(17) Southridge vs. Homestead = Southridge wins by 21

(18) Columbus vs. Miami Beach = Columbus wins by 23

(19) South Broward vs. West Broward = South Broward wins by 28

(20) Hallandale vs. Miramar = Miramar wins by 5

(21) Deerfield Beach vs. Stoneman Douglas = Deerfield Beach wins by 17

(22) Southwest vs. Coral Reef = Southwest wins by 21

(23) Mater Academy vs. Miami Springs = Mater Academy wins by 32

(24) Dillard vs. Northeast = Dillard wins by 19

(25) Champagnat vs. International School of Broward = Champagnat wins by 21

Sunset vs. A&T Mourning = Sunset wins by 6

Barbara Goleman vs. Doral Academy = Doral Academy wins by 16

Belen Jesuit vs. Varela = Belen wins by 20

Florida Christian vs. Miami Country Day = Florida Christian wins by 13

Everglades Prep vs. Somerset Academy Silver Palms = Everglades Prep wins by 14

Coral Springs vs. Monarch = Coral Springs wins by 7

Westland Hialeah vs. Ronald Reagan = Reagan wins by 42

Dr. Krop vs. Hialeah Gardens = Dr. Krop wins by 28

Keys Gate Charter vs. Jacksonville Bolles = Bolles wins by 21

Clewiston vs. Somerset Academy Pines = Clewiston wins by 35

Pinecrest Prep vs. Palmer Trinity = Palmer Trinity wins by 17

Blanche Ely vs. Coconut Creek = Coconut Creek wins by 5

Cooper City vs. Nova = Cooper City wins by 7

Coral Springs Charter vs. Coral Glades = Coral Springs Charter wins by 14

South Plantation vs. Cypress Bay = Cypress Bay wins by 12

Pines Charter vs. Calvary Christian = Calvary Christian wins by 14

Plantation vs. Western = Western wins by 17

Pompano Beach vs. Westminster Academy = Westminster Academy wins by 9

Jackson vs. Stranahan = Jackson wins by 10

Westminster Christian vs. Port St. Lucie (Fl.) = Westminster Christian wins by 7

University School vs. Belle Glade Glades Central = Glades Central wins by 11

Archbishop McCarthy vs. North Broward Prep = North Broward Prep wins by 3

Ferguson vs. Braddock = Ferguson wins by 7

Hialeah vs. American = American wins by 9

North Miami Beach vs. North Miami = North Miami Beach wins by 6

Coral Shores vs. Ransom Everglades = Coral Shores wins by 1

Killian vs. South Dade = South Dade wins by 4

Marathon vs. LaSalle = LaSalle wins by 13

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